AUTHOR'S NOTES:
Hey everyone! Sorry about the long time between updates. My beta reader is unfortunately extremely busy and wasn't able to find time to do this chapter for a while, so I decided to go ahead and upload it as is, since by the time they said they'll be available, I'll have had this done for over two weeks. The heavy plot stuff going on was another reason I decided to upload the chapter now instead of leaving on a long cliff hanger for a while. Soon as my beta reader gets a chance to look at it, I'll be updating this with the fully edited version, which should probably be around the end of the month.
There shouldn't be too much more than minor stuff that's slipped by here and there or things that completely detract from the experience, but sorry in advance if anything got through the cracks. Either way, hope you enjoy the story resuming updates. Chapter 16 is also about finished and should likely be up within around 2 weeks. I said I was serious about getting updates out!
7/11/2019 EDIT:
My old beta reader, unfortunately, became too busy to continue doing this story. Hence the long delay on putting the revised chapter and chapter 16 up. However, I have managed to find a new one and do regular progress should resume soon. Chapter 15's final version is going up with this update, while 16 will be up in a few days.
The Taisha were in an uproar.
In addition to a style of attack not seen for almost 300 years, the behavior displayed by the Vertex, given the reason they were created, raised some deeply concerning implications about the nature of the two mages. Not only that, the two were certainly no ordinary children and easy to deceive. They already had a shaky relationship with Shikoku's leading branch, and after last night, there was no doubt they would have concerns about what was truly going on in the world. For the first time in a while, far moreso than when the mages had even first arrived, the Taisha were unsure of how to even begin addressing the problem. Nothing in their power could restrain the mages if they attempted to go outside the barrier and the duo had already vacated the premise when the Heroes were retrieved, what if they had already tried to find answers themselves? The most terrifying prospect of all, was the chance of them drawing the wrong attention. Was the careful house of cards the Taisha had constructed about to collapse? Children though they were, the pair were obviously intelligent beyond what their ages suggested, so surely they would understand the need for discretion and could be reasoned with if they found out the truth, right?
All these questions and more spun through Masuzu's mind like a tornado. She hadn't slept the whole night, having been busy meeting with the Taisha and debating on what to do with the current matter. Being she was the Heroes combat teacher and had the most interaction with the mages, it brought her into discussion she might not have normally been given a seat for. However, with the organization still trying to make plans on what to do, and some matters above her level of authority even with the circumstances, she had been sent away for a break, having returned homed for what little rest she could get for the moment. However, all these concerns made it difficult to have any calm, leaving her doing little more than eating some decent food at her house. Too many hours since a proper meal.
The sounds of a few knocks at her front door made the woman pause. Did the Taisha decide on a plan already? They were old fashioned and likely to send someone in person for a serious matter like this to summon her, but this had been oddly quick. But, who else was going to come visit her at this time?
Standing up from her meal, Masuzu made her way across the dining area, past her living room, and over to her front door. Expecting to be greeted by her fellow members, the woman opened the front door to a sight that was certainly not the Taisha, but something that immediately made her freeze.
Both mages were standing on her front porch.
"Good morning!" Speaking with a casual friendliness that only made Masuzu more cautious, Negi greeted with a matching smile. "Are you busy? If you have some time, Fate and I were hoping we could have a chance to talk."
Contrasting his companion's warm introduction, Fate stood a few paces behind, neutrally staring at Masuzu. It was impossible to get even a slight clue on what either were thinking.
The woman paused for a moment, unsure. Negi was showing the same kind demeanor she had usually seen from the child, but the circumstances meant this had to of been far from a simple house visit to say hello. The idea of letting something even the Vertex had initially ignored and could pave mountains flat with a gesture, into her home, wasn't exactly an appealing one. But… Maybe this would be a chance to get answers to the burning questions the Taisha had. There wasn't much of a choice, if there was any chance to get the situation under control, it had to be taken.
"… Come in." Masuzu said after considering her options for a few seconds, stepping aside from her door and leaving the walkway open. Though, her voice didn't share the welcoming demeanor Negi's did. It was guarded, cautious. With the fate of everything the Taisha had worked for within almost 300 years possibly hanging on a thread depending on what the two said at this meeting, she couldn't be anything but concerned and straight to the point.
"Thank you." Same mood as before, Negi responded, entering the dwelling, followed closely behind by Fate Fate, both mages watched closely by the teacher.
Her home wasn't anything too extravagant, upper end of middle class at best. The front doorway opening up into a large living room, with a table in the centered resting before a TV, several chairs surrounding the furniture. Aside from the furnishings in the center and a few more minor ones around, like another desk with a few chairs, the area was mostly bare. Masuzu preferred a more practical house over one lavishly decorated in excess, not that she had anyone over often anyway. Though, there were still a few notable decorations in her house, namely the three well cared for flowers in her bedroom. But, those were thoughts for another time.
"Is it alright if we sit here?" Stopping over by the table, Negi asked politely, to which Masuzu gave a small nod. Thanking her once more, Negi took a seat. "Sorry to bother you suddenly like this. How have you been doing?"
"What did you come here to discuss?" Levelly, Masuzu responded, brushing off the attempts at small talk, slowly moving over to join the pair. The child was likely simply being polite, but the woman wasn't interested in indulging it with what the situation was.
Negi's cheerful smile lowered a hair from the dismissal. "Straight to business then? Alright, that's understandable." While still maintaining a good level of friendliness, not like the cold and guarded tone Masusu was using herself, the child's voice took on a heavier weight to it that was lacking moments ago. "Let's start with what I'm sure is the most pressing concern." The mage paused for a moment, letting the Taisha priestess take a seat opposite of him and Fate. "We have not gone outside of the Shinju-sama's barrier, yet."
Masuzu felt the tiniest trace of tension leaving her shoulders at the confirmation the Taisha's biggest fears were unfounded. Though the 'yet' part did not go unnoticed to her. But, there was still a chance the situation could be controlled, just maybe.
"However," Negi continued, a slight edge to their words. "We know that the story about a 'virus' being the cause of what destroyed the outside world, is a lie. The Vertex are much more than any kind of virus. They were made by someone or something with a clear objective to destroy the Shinju-sama, correct?"
Masuzu kept her face perfectly composed, despite her internal storm of worry. The conclusion about the virus story might not have been a reach if the Vertex ignored them, but also knowing someone created them? Perhaps it was their magical background. Thankfully, it didn't seem they knew the exact reason why the Vertex were sent, that was good. But, if they were fishing for a confirmation from her, as how would they have possibly confirmed it, maybe this could be spun someway to dissuade them away from this line of thought…
"If this is about the Vertex igno-"
"Don't even try it." Fate abruptly interjected, an undercut of hostility briefly flaring in his words, before returning back to his normal tone. "We already know these facts. We did not come here to have you attempt more useless lies to maintain your conspiracy. You are not the first organization we've dealt with that tried to keep secrets about the world's fate."
"… Then, why did you come here?"
"Well, having further confirmation is never a bad thing, but we came to you, hoping we might be able to answer a question we're not sure about." Negi began. "One of the possibilities we thought of that brought us here, was the Shinju-sama summoning us. We tried to asking the Taisha about it, but every time we tried to get answers, they would always try to brush us off or saying it was being 'investigated', not too much different from when we discussed the possibility of going outside the barrier. I'm going to assume that's also a lie and that the organization has known the answer from the beginning, especially given the Taisha are the religious arm of the Shinju-sama in Shikoku's management. And secondly, an apparently unprecedented attack happened in the very next battle after we were called. I doubt the timing on that is coincidence." Negi continued, speaking in a gentle tone, but matter of fact in all his observations.
Masuzu kept her composure, despite the worries this line of questioning brought up. The Shinju had summoned them, but she couldn't simply tell them that. The Taisha had made it clear to not tell the two such a fact if it could be helped. The Shinju had spent a lot of energy calling them here and certainly wasn't in any condition to send them back, but what if they tried to force the matter to get home faster? They had still helped against the Vertex and she knew it couldn't be a deception by their enemy if the Shinju summoned them, but her personal feelings didn't matter. She didn't always agree with everything the Taisha did, the decision to try and gain more leverage by depriving the mages of any supplies initially had been difficult to comes to terms with, they were still children, at least supposedly, but when they made a decision, that was the final say on the matter.
"I understand the Taisha might be worried about us using force to get what we want, but I promise you, if the Shinju-sama isn't in any state to send us back, we won't force them to. They're what's maintaining the barrier around this island, and if sending us back would endanger Shikoku's safety, then we'll find another way. You can trust us, Aki-san. We've been trying to help how we can, be it teaching the Heroes some magic or fighting against the Vertex. I know the Taisha and us don't exactly have the smoothest relationship, but we still want to help." Expression softening into a sincere smile, Negi continued calmly.
The boy seemed sincere in his words, they had an almost childlike optimism she saw sometimes in her own students, someone like Gin especially, but that didn't matter. She lacked the authority to tell them, even if she wanted to.
"Perhaps you should consider this in a more pragmatic way. The Taisha must be a mess, trying to decide how to handle this situation." Fate interjected, placing one of his hands on the table and leaning toward Masuzu. "We know the situation is far bigger in scope than the public story lets on and your organization keeps secrets about the world, keeping the truth even from those who are the only defense between it and destruction when the Vertex come."
The other mage spoke with a disdainful edge to their words in the second half of their comments, an edge that sent a pang of guilt through Masuzu. She didn't like forcing children to take up such a heavy responsibility, the weight of which had become frighteningly clear when it nearly claimed Gin and Sonoko's lives, without being told about it… But there wasn't any other choice. Nobody else could fight against the Vertex, and maybe when they were older it would be easier to handle the truth, but to learn the full extent of what they were fighting against? That was more than one could ask any normal child, not even teenagers yet, to shoulder if it could be helped.
"However, we also have our disasters back in our world to deal with. Whatever your problems are, we cannot afford to get involved with a prolonged battle when we don't even have a way home. So, if we get the answers we need, then we're content to let the rest of your secrets stay hidden for now. The Taisha can still believe they hold leverage in this arrangement and, provided nothing changes which puts this island in danger of immediate destruction, don't need to worry about any of their secrets being exposed. We can both get what we want."
By now, she was starter to feel more like the prisoner in the interrogation room, rather than the one asking the questions… Regardless, Negi was sincere in wanting to help and Fate also had a point in his argument, but there was still one burning question that was stirring in her mind from all of this.
"Why did you come to me then? Why not someone higher up in the Taisha?" Curious, she asked. Yes, she was in an upper level position within the organization, but there were still people at the top levels above her. If they were going to simply appear like this, surely it made more sense to go to them? They would've already met some of them during the various meetings that had happened since the pair arrived.
"Well, there's a few reasons for that." Negi started with a warm voice. "Most of the top level members we've talked with, have been rather… Detached? They're very cold and not easy to try and compromise with. But, while we haven't talked personally all that much, I thought you would be an easier person to talk with and get help from. I wouldn't be surprised if they tried to tell us more cover stories."
Masuzu squinted her eyes, perplexed. "Then, why do you think I would be any different?"
"You're the Heroes combat instructor, but also their school teacher, right?" Undeterred, Negi asked without missing a beat.
She slowly nodded.
"I was a teacher myself too, 31 students. And all of them are important to me, much more than just people to take care of because it was my job." The mage continued, a nostalgic look in his eyes while the paused briefly, enjoying the memories brought up by the discussion.
That was right, she had heard the mage was apparently a teacher, having become one at age nine. Masuzu had initially not given it much thought, but between everything, even an absurd idea like that seemed believable. Especially given the much heavier burdens even her own students had.
"And many of them also got into a lot of dangerous situations, sometimes ones where I couldn't do anything to help and had no idea if they were okay or not." Expression falling into a frown, Negi spoke. "And, all three of those girls seem important to you, so I'm sure that's a feeling you can understand."
The woman couldn't help a pang of sympathy for the child. The sentiment was something she indeed knew well. An attack was always over in an instant from her perspective, but she couldn't help worrying for the girls safety at times, especially after the attack which nearly took Gin's life. The most recent one had left her similarly on edge until everyone was confirmed alive. Those had been the longest minutes of her life. "Yes, I understand the feeling."
Negi nodded with an approving smile. "Then, I think you can understand one of the reasons why we want to get home so badly. As Fate said, we have our own problems and enemies to deal with, and no way to know if everyone is alright until we get back. So, if the Shinju-sama did summon us here and there's anyway it can help us get back, then we would like to know if there's any way it could help us get back. If we're going to be helping how we are, then don't we deserve to at least know that? But, if it can't for whatever reason, then it's good to rule that out, so we can focus on other plans we have in the works."
The Taisha priestess paused, mulling the words over in her head. So, that was their reason then. It was hard not for her to sympathize with the mage's goal, if she were somehow in a situation where she had no way to know how Sumi, Sonoko, and Gin were doing, then she would want to try every option available to confirm they were okay. But… Even then, no matter how much she understood the feelings, orders were orders. Yet, unlike when she usually tried set aside her emotions, this was one of those times where she just couldn't do it so easily. They also had a strong point that, were they helping this much, the mages had a right to not be kept entirely in the dark, the thought making another bitter pang strike her heart at how the Heroes were being told to put their lives on the line for a cause they were not told the truth of. At the same time though, it wasn't just Masuzu's emotions tugging at her, but also her practical side. The Taisha had no idea how to solve the current problem, and if what the mages said was true, then it would solve that issue and give them peace of mind everything wasn't going to collapse. Given everything so far, she felt like the mages were being sincere in their promise. Really, the woman had no reason not to tell them then, other than simply because she was ordered.
Finally, Masuzu reached a decision, taking a small sigh before speaking. "Alright." Just this once, she'd have to disobey the Taisha's orders. They likely weren't going to be happy with that, but having a solution to their current troubles was going to make up for it. "If I tell you, then you both promise to not press the issue further, go beyond the Shinju-sama's barrier, or tell anyone else about what you've discovered outside the Taisha? Including the Heroes."
"One question, before that." Surprisingly, Fate quickly spoke up before Negi could, leaning his head against a closed fist, his gaze piercing. "I wish to know your reasons for not wanting to continue lying to the Heroes. I expect it to be deeper than simply maintaining the Taisha's story."
Now, the topic had shifted to a much more personal line of questioning for Masuzu. While maintaining the Taisha's story was certainly the main reason for it, if she was honest with herself, then there were more reasons for maintaining the deception on top of it. She didn't discuss deeply personal matters often, but Negi had shared something personal and if this got them to agree to the conditions, so be it.
"… You're right. None of them are even teenagers yet, and they were chosen for this duty well in advance, something they were selected for due to their Hero potential, not something they chose. But, there was no one else who could do it." Masuzu began, briefly flashing back to when they had first been introduced to the trio. She hadn't expected to grow so attached to them, but it had been impossible not to, as she was soft at heart. "And knowing the full extent of the situation and what they're fighting against, it's far more weight than someone as young as them should bear. They should be allowed to live and enjoy what they can as children, despite their duty. You said this wasn't your first time dealing with a situation like this, so I imagine you can also understand learning something that changed how you viewed the world forever."
Negi gave a small, knowing nod at her statement, while Fate continued to stare at her, his expression lightening to an emotion she wasn't entire sure about, it might've almost looked like a subdued smile even, but it was the first time in this discussion the mage seemed to look something other than disinterested or annoyed.
"I see..." Raising their posture back to a more neutral position, the child's words were oddly less hostile or dismissive than usual as well. "In that case, I agree to your terms."
"Provided there is no immediate danger of Shikoku being destroyed that comes up, then I promise as well." Echoing the sentiment, Negi nodded.
"Then, with that out of the way..." Masuzu cleared her throat once with the topic change. "Yes, the Shinju-sama is what summoned you here. Unfortunately, no, it can't bring you back. That would expend too much energy to be safe, bringing you here was already taxing. I'm not sure if it could be of any assistance getting home either. I'm sorry." The woman frowned sympathetically toward the pair as she finished.
Negi sighed at the news in disappointment, before their features returned to a more subdued optimism. "That's what I was worried about. If just bringing us here weakened the barrier enough to allow that many Vertex in, then I suppose sending us back would be too much. Still, I appreciate you telling us this, thank you. Are further attacks like that something to expect? We can alter the Heroes training a bit to deal with many enemies if so."
Masuzu shook her head. "I'm not certain. I don't think future attacks will be as intense, the Shinju-sama intentionally weakens parts of the barrier at times to conserve energy and Vertex come through, and they did this moreso than usual with the last attack because of calling you here. We have some ways to replenish the Shinju-sama's energy to a degree, but while future attacks might be more difficult than before, I don't think something that severe will happen again. But, that's good to know you can help them train for it just in case. That's something we can do at the upcoming training session."
"Well, that's relieving to hear then." Smiling, the child answered. "Is there anything else to discuss then?"
An awkward silence fell over the table, the two mages looking at Masuzu expectantly. She knew what they were expecting her to ask, questions about why the Vertex could have ignored them in the last battle. However, she already had several ideas for why such an event happened, given what the Vertex were created for. The Taisha were also worried about the implications as well. They had already agreed not to press the matter further, but even despite that, she worried about possibly giving them too much, given how much they had managed to deduce so far from what seemed like very limited information. However, maybe she could make them feed any potential answers, see if the problem could be confirmed beyond any shadow of a doubt. She would have rather been wrong in her assumption.
"Yes, there is one thing I wanted to ask." She paused. "Do you have any idea why the Vertex initially ignored you?"
Both mages briefly shared a glance, before returning their gazes back toward her. "No, we're not too sure. The only thing I can think of is they were created with specifics in mind for what's considered an enemy, and for whatever reason, Fate and I didn't fall under that until we attacked them first. There's constructs that can be made like that with magic in our world."
"I see..." Masuzu lowly murmured. It wasn't a direct confirmation, but it seemed like a strong indication the Taisha's concerns were right. That was… Deeply troubling if so, but at the same time, maybe there was a way this could one day be exploited, and if they continued to help, then perhaps it wouldn't be as big a concern. "Then, there's nothing more I have to discuss."
"Then, I guess we'll be leaving." Rising from his chair, Negi said. "I imagine you'll have a lot to discuss and report on to the Taisha, so we won't bother you any further." Giving a small bow, Negi finished, accompanied by Fate barely raising his hand in a parting wave.
"Yes… I do." Letting out a sigh, Masuzu commented, standing up from her own chair. She'd barely slept already and stayed awake through the night, yet it seemed like the day had only just begun with everything that was on her to-do list now. "Goodbye then, to both of you. I'll see you soon at the next training session."
"Goodbye, Aki-san. It was good speaking to you. Contact us if you need anything else." Followed by Fate, the woman watched both mages exit her front door, leaving her alone once again in the room.
It was time for another long day…
Lowering her bow, Sumi let out a tired sigh. For whatever reason, the Taisha had hurriedly organized a training session for the girls. It was highly unusual, they typically knew in advance when there was training and generally got some time to rest following an attack, but not today. Even their teacher, who normally seemed perfectly composed, had a few cracks that indicated she seemed a little more tired than normal, not that Sumi said anything of it.
Not only had the training been on such short notice, it'd also involved a slightly new type of it at the fake Jukai Fate made. The mages had summoned constructs once again, but this time they were far smaller and more numerous, not unlike what they experienced last battle. It was good experience and their presence did at least mean the burning questions Sumi wanted to ask them, wouldn't have to wait long. However, it could wait a few minutes to check on her friends, particularly Sonoko.
"Sonocchi?" Sumi asked, concern seeping into her words while she approached her slouching friend. "Are you doing alright?" The girl had been through an exhausting amount in the last day, and even though she'd gotten a clean bill of health and discharged from the hospital, it was still worrying.
Sonoko turned her head toward her friend, flashing a wear smile. "Just a little tired from everything, thanks for the concern Wasshi~."
"Here, let me see if I can help a bit..." Sumi said, summoning up a little healing magic for the minor injuries Sonoko had sustained during battle. The mages were going to be here any moment likely, but Sumi felt confident enough in her healing skills to take care of something basic, like some small cuts or bruises, perfectly in her transformed state. It was good if she got used to taking care of these problems anyway, it was going to be expected of her once the mages were gone.
"Oh, I see Washio-san has already started taking care of any injuries. Good job." Negi's approving voice sounded off as the mage gently landed beside the Heroes.
"Where's Aki-sensei?" Briefly looking up from her healing, Sumi questioned. Seeing their teacher had remained outside the combat area.
"She's busy dealing with reports, apparently, and will have a longer assessment of how you did later, but she told me to say 'you did well' for now." Negi answered, briefly glancing back toward the instructor. Given everything, Sumi couldn't help but wonder if the Taisha had even surprised her with this last minute training. It was certainly odd.
"That said, how are you all holding up?" Negi asked, glancing over the three Heroes. "I hope the sudden training wasn't too difficult. We were also a bit surprised at how last minute it was."
"I'm doing fine." Gin said with a confident smile. "Been working a bit on that body reinforcement magic, it's awesome how I don't feel as tired anymore."
Sumi couldn't tell if it was really the magic helping Gin or simply the fact she came out with the lightest injuries in the last two fights making such a claim easier to say. The girl was always the strongest in raw power by far, something that interestingly seemed to translate into how quickly she picked up magic that didn't require too much thought or long western styled chants.
"All our regular training and then the magic stuff at home sure keeps a person busy though." Continuing with her joking tone, Gin 'whined' sarcastically.
"Hrm..." Sonoko hummed thoughtfully while Sumi focused on her injuries, a dangerously familiar glint in her eyes. "Mino-san's been too busy to do any of their summer homework, haven't they?"
All the blood drained from Gin's face as her tanned skin started turning pale. "H-hey, why did you have to bring up that? There's still time..."
"Less than 3 weeks isn't a lot of time, Gin." Sumi disapprovingly stated on near reflex, looking at Gin with exasperation. She was done with Sonoko's injuries and had started moving onto her own, planning to speak with the mages about what happened during the battle once finished, but she couldn't help the critical comment escape her mouth.
Gin's shoulders slumped in defeat, the girl letting out a sigh. "Dammit… Has it really been that long already? I was having so much fun with magic, I forgot..."
"Ah, I imagine you three must be busy balancing everything. Your studies are still important and I was a teacher, so if you're having any trouble, maybe I can help you with your school work." Negi suggested.
"Oh, that's a good idea. Mino-san's not the best at school work, so some personal tutoring might be good for her~." Sonoko added, a large, mischievous even, smile on her face while putting extra stress on the personal part.
"H-huh? Wait a second, you don't need to do that..."
"Wait." Sumi quickly interjected, before the conversation could further derail. She knew what to expect from something like this, and if it snowballed, it would be harder to address what she wanted. There was no way she could possibly wait till another meeting with the pair, and with already being transformed, she felt some extra safety bringing the topic up. "There was something I wanted to ask you two..."
"Hm?" Negi tilted his head, expression growing curious, detecting the more serious tone Sumi's words had taken on. "What did you want to ask, Washio-san?"
Sumi took a quick breath to gather her thoughts, everyone's curious eyes on her. She had thought a few times on how to bring this topic up since they returned from battle, but it was much different to actually discuss it than go over any possibilities in her head. "During… The last battle with the Vertex, I saw something happen when the Vertex first approached you, something that doesn't make any sense to me."
With every word she spoke, the atmosphere grew tenser. Immediately, she saw Negi and Fate's features take on a heavier tint, while her friend's faces grew in curiosity and confusion instead, perhaps even a little worry.
"The Vertex didn't attack you, until you attacked them first."
"Huh!?" Gin said with shock, blinking a few times as if she had to of misheard Sumi. "Are you sure about that Sumi?"
Negi sighed, crossing his arms. "So, you saw that then?" The child spoke, drawing both Sonoko and Gin's surprised expressions from Sumi, toward him. "Sorry, we're about as confused as you are as to the exact reason they might have done that."
"But there has to be some reason why they did that..." Sumi pensively responded. The Vertex had never responded in such a way before, they always seemed to attack on sight if they weren't trying to slip past the Heroes to attack the Shinju. But what was it? What could it possibly be? Every time she thought on the problem, a burning question rose within her, a question she didn't know how or why she felt the desire, compulsion even, to ask, but also carried a similarly odd feeling she got the day before the field trip the mages had arrived and before the last attack. The question was insane and sounded like a ridiculous possibility, but some part of her couldn't brush it away, the drive to ask it growing with each moment she let it stew in her mind.
"Are.." Sumi slowly started, hesitating for just a moment, the question on the tip of her tongue.
"Are you two even human?"
A chill gripped the air, freezing everyone around Sumi while they considered the sheer absurdity of the words she asked.
"What kind of a question is that…?" Gin asked, some confused concern seeping into their voice. "Of course they're human, look at them." The red Hero gestured toward the two mages, her expression rising briefly, before dropping to an unsure one when the pair didn't answer for a second.
Instead of any reaction, both mages briefly focused their attention on each other, Sumi would've bet they were talking telepathically again. The silence was worrying her, she must have struck something close to the mark if they were pausing even for a few moments like this. But, could the question she couldn't explain her reason for asking, actually be true? They looked like two normal boys roughly the same age as her group, 11-12 years old, and magic could do many amazing things, but were they really not human? And if so… What did it mean if the Vertex ignored them because of it?
After what felt like a long pause to Sumi, but must have only been a second or two, the pair finally refocused their attention back toward the Heroes. "Well… The truth of the matter is, no, neither of us are human." Negi stated.
Sumi felt her back stiffen up and hands tense up into near fists, both her friends going wide eyed alongside herself. She felt some of her confidence falter, unsure of what question to ask next. She hadn't actually expect the question to be true. If they weren't human, then.. What in the world were they if they looked like them?
"… What do you mean that you're not human?" Sonoko was the first one to speak up, her voice taking on a rarer sterner tone that happened when she got in a more serious mood, even if it didn't have the same graveness as Sumi's
"Well, I actually used to be human." Negi started, his voice oddly casual and calm despite the revelation. "But something happened several months back and I'm not anymore."
This just raised more questions for Sumi. He used to be human? What could have possibly changed him? "Then… What are you? How did you… Stop being a human?" The girl asked. She knew many supernatural legends and the existence of the Shinju meant they were more than legends, but she didn't think there was a chance she might actually meet something like that. Although, it wasn't like a lot she never expected hadn't already happened.
"Hrm… That's a good question." Negi paused, tapping his cheek with a finger and looking upwards. "It was a specific type of magic, nothing you're being taught, don't worry, but as for what I am..."
Magic? She knew this couldn't be trusted! This western magic was going to turn them all into inhuman mons-
"It was made by a vampire..."
Wait, what?
"But using it was like being a demon at times..."
What?
"But even before she made it, it was apparently similar to a deity's power that's neither of those, I think..."
What?
"So... I'm not really sure what that makes me, actually, sorry." Chuckling lightly, Negi bluntly stated, rubbing the back of his head. "I just know I'm something immortal and not human anymore."
"H-how do you not know what you are?" Sumi stuttered, her attempts at more serious composure shattered by how weirdly casual Negi was acting about this whole thing. He wasn't human anymore! Some magic that sounded dark and terrible had turned them into… Something. That was not a good thing! But… He barely sounded bothered by it. She knew something wasn't right with this kid…
"Well, my circumstances, as far as I know, are entirely unprecedented, so I'm not sure if I can fall under any existing species." As relaxed as ever, Negi spoke. "But, I don't think that matters too much."
"Eh?"
"Well… Human or not, I'm still me, aren't I?" The child continued, their tone shifting toward a slightly more mature one. "I still act the same as I always did. Even if I'm physically different, I don't think it matters, as long as I'm still myself."
"Huh..." Gin was the first one to speak up, drawing the girl out of her thoughts. Her words had a casualness to them similar to Negi's. "Well, it sounds crazy, but when you put it like that, then I guess it makes sense. As long as you're still the same person at heart, that's what's important. You're still my friend, human or not."
"I agree with Mino-san~." Sonoko echoed, her voice rising to a more casual tone as well. "I don't think I'd want to go through something like that, but as long as you don't change who you are, it doesn't matter too much what you are, huh."
Sumi felt everyone's expectant gazes fall upon her, making her shift uncomfortably. She wasn't too sure how to process the words. Negi was looking at this incredibly casually, it was almost a bit disturbing how they didn't seem bothered by a loss of humanity. But… At the same time, she had some trouble finding fault in the words. As long as one acted the same, then they were technically still the same person, weren't they? Even despite that, she still had trouble wrapping her head around how not bothered someone, a kid even, could be about this. Still, he had been so helpful to them all this time, saved Gin's life, taught them new tools to help prevent further tragedy, and seemed like a generally nice person, even despite her reservations about his origin.
"I… Guess you're right then." Sumi admitted. She couldn't say she was completely comfortable with the idea like Gin and Negi seemed to be, and she certainly shared Sonoko's sentiment about not wanting to have that happened herself, but could accept this if he continued acting in a human manner. This had not at all been how she expected the discussion to go.
"Good, I'm glad to hear that. Sorry, I understand that must have been rather shocking to learn. It was for some other people I know as well, but I've long since come to terms with it and knew what I was getting into." Smiling with his usual warmth, Negi replied cheerfully.
"However." Sumi abruptly cut in, her face falling into a grimace, words falling deathly serious. "How do we know this magic isn't going to turn us not human?"
Gin let out an exasperated groan
"Oh, don't worry about that." Negi dismissed with a wave of his hand. "What happened to me was a very special type of magic. "I'm one of only two people in the world, that I know of at least, who uses it. Once again, what you're learning is perfectly safe and normal, I promise."
Sumi frowned, skeptical. He had been honest with them up till now whenever they asked, so she supposed he was trustable, but it still seemed like every time she made strides in begrudgingly accepting using this foreign magic, the universe seemed determined to reveal something that made her second guess it again…
"What about Fate-san?" Gin asked curiously, changing their attention toward the second mage expectantly.
"I assure you, my story is far less interesting than Negi-kun's." Dismissively, Fate started. "Unlike him, I never was human in the first place.
"Soooooo, what are you then~?"
Fate paused for a second, stonefaced as ever. "Magic can be used to create various constructs, similar to what you have been fighting against during practice here, some are much higher level than others however."
"You're saying someone… Created you?" Sumi questioned, tilting her head. Though abrasive and quite unchildlike he could be, Fate still seemed so incredibly human. She had already seen magic could do many wonderful things, but to create a person? To create life? Especially one this freakishly strong? That was both awe inspiring and concerning.
Fate nodded. "Correct. But, I've long since grown past what I was originally made for."
"Woah… Magic can sure do a lot." Gin murmured with a wonder filled voice. "Who uh, made you then?" Curious, yet a touch awkward, the girl continued.
"That, is a personal matter I don't wish to discuss." Fate bluntly rejected the question. "In the interest of some transparency and a show of trust, I answered your question about my nature, but that does not mean I intend to share my life story. Besides, your instructor can't be kept waiting forever." Shifting focus, the mage gestured some hundreds of meters back, where their teacher was waiting.
Sumi knew they had a good point, even if it was more an excuse to change the subject. Perhaps she hadn't brought this up at the best of times, but she had to get her question answered and she did, even if it didn't at all go the way she had expected. And there was still so many further questions which had been raised by this. What kind of magic did an 11 year old dabble in that turned them into something non-human? Especially with the kind of description given to it, those made her shudder a bit to think about. And how did something like Fate get created? What did it all imply about the Vertex? Many worrying questions, but at the very least, it seemed like she could still trust the two mages for now, human or not.
"I wish we could talk more, I'd be happy to answer some questions, but Fate is right. Given how things have been today, we'll be sending you all home from here so you can get some rest and she'll send you comments on today's training later. Is everyone ready to go?" Negi asked, looking over the three Heroes.
Each of them briefly exchanged a look, before undoing their transformations and giving a collective affirmation.
"Sorry we didn't get a chance to talk more, especially about getting you any help with your summer work, Minowa-san." Negi began, while Fate prepared a spell to send everyone back. "We can work something out later, perhaps I can come by your house sometime. We have a lot of our own experiments to catch up on. Until next time."
Before anyone could respond to the comment, white overtook everyone's vision, but not before Sumi swore she saw a satisfied look on Sonoko's face. She was going to get a long lecture for this.